Filling attachment for tanks



June 10, 1930. D. s. PFAHL FILLING ATTACHMENT FOR TANKS Filed July 24, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet June 10, 1930. D. SPF-AHL 1,762,524

FILLING TTACHMENT FOR TANKS Filed July 24. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IW 32 2f( 53 f Z l Patented June 10, 1930 naman si rit-Ann or CLEVELAND, ori-Io iiirmiive,` arracnmnnrr non Tanks Application `filed` July 24;, 1926. Serial No..124,700.

art for-the retailer to advertise and sell a` 1 certain grade and quality of gasolene or oil and oneof the objects of this invention is to provide a` closure attachment forthe storage tank; which can be opened only by the Wholesale dealer in gasolene, or his representative,

i5 thus preventing the filling of the tank With an,4 inferior grade or quality of gasolene and insuring the customer of receiving the particular brand or quality advertised.

Also ini certain parts of thecountry,` it has 2o been customary for a manufactureriof tanks and dispensing equipment to furnish the retail dealer with equipment and to charge the retailer a certain percentage on the gasolene or other commodity dispensed through such 25 equipment, the dealer accordingly purchasing gasolene only from the manufacturer. With tanks heretofore-known it has been possible fora dishonest dealer to purchasegasolene, oil or other commodity from a person 3o other than the: manufacturer who furnished the equipment.

An object of this invention therefore is to provide a closure attachment fortanks which has a plurality ofclosures, one of which is as locked in closed position and the key to the same retained by the Wholesale dealer, the other of said closures being removable by the retail dealer for the purpose of ascertaining when the storage tank needs replenishinother object of the invention is to provide a closure attachment of the class described Which normally supports and retains an ullage rod or measuring stick which is 4s, readily accessible by removing oneof the closures but which is secured against removal from the tank and so arranged that When the tank has been filled with a certain grade or quality of gasolene and one of the closures is locatedor sealed in closed position, the

tank cannot be tampered With or rctilledwith, adifferent or inferior grade of gasolene.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compound closure attachment of the class described which is simple and rigid in construction and` which. is Well adapted for quantity production at comparatively lovv` cost.

`Another object of the invention is to provide` a closure attachment which when atonI tached to the filling neck of the usual underground gasolene` tank will be` air tight and Will successfully prevent rain or mois ture from seeping in past thefopening in the filling` neck. l Further and more limited objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionl proceeds and by referenceto` the accompanying drawing in which Fig. lis a view partly in sectionand partly inL side elevation of my im- *la` proved filling attachment secured to an under ground tank; Fig. 2 isa topl plan. view of the closure showing thesame in closed position; Figl 3-is a view similar toFipg. l with the cover plateremoved 5` 4 is al horizon- 7i?` tal sectional View on the1 line'-B `of Fig.` 1; Fig. isa fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modification.; Fig. 6 is` a top plan view of the-form of the invention shown inl 5 and Fig. 7: is aidetail enlarged fragmentary se" sectional vview on the` line 7 7 `of `l." i g. 6.

Referring now tothe drawings (Figs. 1-4 inclusive) `the numeral 1 designates the usual underground tank to which is secured by any suitable means, as by spot Welding, a filling s@ neck 2 which is eXteriorly threaded as shown ati. The ilumeralt designates an annular base member which is adapted to be threadedly secured to the filling neck` Formed adjacent the opening in the base member 4 is 9o an annular shoulder 5 and the upper end of the filling neck 2 is bentor peened over onto this shoulder for securing the base member 4 against removal from the illing neck 2. Immediately adjacentthe shoulder 5 there is 95 provided an upstanding annular rib 6 adapted to receive an annular packing 7, the purpose ofvvhichwill hereinafter appear. t The base a is` provided with a plurality of spaced apertnred projections sl-and 9` adaptedto re- M30 ceive a pin 10 therethrough which pivotally secures the cover plate 11 to the base member 4.

Pivotally secured on opposite sides of the base member 4 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, are a pair -of clamping arms 12 and 13 provided with thumb screws 14 and 15, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The cover plate 11 is provided with a centrally disposed rectangular opening 16 adapted to slidably receive therethrough an ullage rod or measuring stick 17 and surrounding the opening 16 is an upstanding annular flange 18 which is interiorly threaded to receive a screw cap 19. The cover plate 11 is also provided each side with a pair of spaced projections 21, 22, 23 and 24 disposed in alignment with clamping arms 12 and 13. rllhe clamping arms are moved tothe position shown in Fig. 2 and the thumb screws 14 and 15 tightened to hold the cover plate in air-tight engagement with l the base member 4. This feature of my device is particularly desirable, when the de vice is used with tanks at filling stations employing pressure or vacuum for elevating the liquid to a visible measuring vessel. The cover plate 11 and the base member 4 are provided with oppositely disposed Vapertures through which may be fastened a suitable lock 27 for securing the cover plate in closed position. Secured within the annular shoulder 5 is a spider 28 having a rectangular opening therein of a size such that the ullage rod 17 fits snugly but slidably therein. The purpose of the spider is to hold the ullage rod in alignment with the opening 16 and to keep the same from falling against the sides of the neck 2 when the cover plate 11 is opened. That portion of the ullage rod which is norf mally in the tank 1 is shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 3 so that when the ullage rod is lifted upwardly out of the tank any liquid which might adhere to the rod will drain back down the notched portion 29.

The tank 1 is adapted to be filled by the wholesale dealer who retains the key to the lock 27. When the lock is removed the cover plate 11 may be swung on its pivot so that the tank may be filled. The wholesale dealer fills the tank and closes the cover plate 11 and locks the same. The retail dealer may remove the cap 19 when desired and by means of the ullage rod determine the amount of gasoline in the tank and should the same need replenishing he may notify the dealer who will again fill the tank. When the tank has been filled with a certain kind or quality of gasoline and the cover plate locked in place the tank cannot be again tampered with or refilled with a different or inferior grade of gasoline and the customer is insured of receiving the particular grade or quality advertised. The wholesale dealer is also able to ascertain at any time just how much gasoline has been sold from the tank since the last V filling as the tank 1 cannot be filled except by removing the cover plate 11.

This form of the invention is particularly adapted for underground filling tanks in which the neck of the filling tank is disposed below the surface of the ground and in which there is danger of water seeping through the filling cap.

In Figs. 5-7 inclusive I have disclosed a; modified form of my invention in which l substitute a hinge cap 19 for the cap 19. The cap 19 is pivotally secured to the cover plate 11 as shown in Fig. 5 and is locke-d in closing position by a lock 30 as disclosed and described in my copending application 118,404, filed J une 25, 1926. The cover plate 11 is provided with an annular shoulder 31 and the cap 19 is so constructed as to fit snugly against the annular shoulder 31 as shown in Figs, 5 and 7. j The base member 4 is also provided with an annular shoulder 32 and the lower side of the cover plate is provided with an annular depression or recess which snugly fits against the annular shoul` der 32 as seen most clearly in Fig. 2.

The cover plate 11 is provided with an overhanging flange 33 which projects over the edge of the base member 4 as shown in Fig. 7 and the cap 19 overlaps the shoulder 31 so as to prevent rain from finding its way into the filling opening. ln this form of the invention the packing ring 7 is also omitted as the same is not necessary.

It will now be clear that l have provided a device which will accomplish the objects of the invention as hereinbefore stated.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is 1. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be secured about the filling opening of a tank, a cover plate pivotally securedYto-said base member andhaving an opening therein, an ullage rod slidab'le in said opening, a removable cap normally closing` said opening and means for holding said ullage rod in alignment with said opening.

2. In a filling attachment for tanks a base member adapted to be secured about the filling opening thereof, a cover plate removably secured to saidbase member and having an opening therein of less cross sectional area than the said filling opening, an ullage rod slidably mounted in the opening in said cover plate and means arranged adjacent the upper end of said filling neck for holding said ullage rod in aXial alignment with the `opening in said cover plate.

3. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be secured about the filling opening of a tank, a cover plate pivotally secured to said base member and having an opening therein smaller than said filling opening, an ullage rod slidable in said last mentioned opening, a removable cap normally closing said last mentioned opening and means tor holding said ullage rod in alignment with the opening in said cover plate.

4:. A filling attachment of the class described comprising a base member adapted to be secured about the filling opening of a tank, a cover plate pivotally secured to said base member and having an opening therein, an ullage rod slidably mounted in said last mentioned opening, a removable cap normally closing said opening, a spider supported adjacent the top of said filling opening and having an opening therein in alignment with the opening in said cover plate and adapted tor holding said ullage rod in axial alignment with the opening in said cover plate.

5. A filling attachment for tanks comprising base member adapted to be rigidly secured about a filling opening of a tank, a cover plate secured to said base member and having an opening therein considerably smaller than said filling opening, a removable cap normally closing said last mentioned opening, an ullage rod slidably mounted in said opening, and means carried by said base member for holding said ullage rod in alignment with said last mentioned opening, means i'or locking said plate in closing position, and means for holding said cap in position to close the opening in said cover plate.

6. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be secured about a filling opening of a tank and having an opening therein, an annular shoulder formed about said opening whereby a part of' said filling neck may be bent over to secure said member to said neck, a plate carried by said base member and having an opening therein smaller than the opening in said base member, a cap detachably secured to said plate and adapted to close the opening therein, an ullage rod slidably mounted in said last mentioned opening, and means arranged adjacent the upper end of said filling opening for holding such ullage rod in axial alignment with the opening in said cover plate.

7. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be secured about the lill pipe of a tank, said base member having an opening therein and an annular shoulder formed about said opening whereby a part of the fill pipe may be bent over to secure said member to said pipe, a closure carried by said base member and closing the opening therein, said closure having an opening therein smaller than the opening in the said base member, a second closure connected to said first closure and adapted to close the opening therein, an ullage rod slidably mounted in said last mentioned opening and means carried by said base member for holding said ullage rod in axial alignment with the openings in said closures.

8. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be secured abc ut the fill pipe of a tank, the said base member having an annular shoulder ,tliei'eon, a cover plate carried by said base member and having an annular recess therein into which said shoulder projects, said cover having an opening therein smaller than the opening in said base member, an annular shoulder surrounding said opening, a second cover plate carried by the first cover plate and having an annular recess therein into which said last mentioned shoulder projects, means for locking said first closure to said base member and means for securing the second closure to the first closure.

9. A filling attachment for tanks comprising a base member adapted to be rigidly secured about the filling opening of a tank, a cover plate secured to said base member and having an opening therein considerably smaller than said filling opening, a removable cap normally closing said last mentioned opening, an ullage rod slidably mounted in said opening and having its lower end normally disposed within said tank, means carried by said base member for holding said ullage rod in alignment with said last mentioned opening, means :tor locking said plate in closed position and means for holding said cap in position to close the opening in said cover, that portion of the ullage rod normally within the tank having a notched portion therein whereby to permit liquid which may adhere to the ullage rod to drain back into the tank through said notched portion.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

DANIEL S. PFAHL. 

